Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Reviews
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is an extremely unexpected outing for the series, but the developers have largely stuck the landing, and delivered a fun pirate adventure that I am sure will remain a fan favourite for many years to come.
Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii is a great addition to this legendary franchise, that looks to set itself apart in some meaningful ways. That said, the game does get held back by some issues that have plagued the franchise for years. Thankfully, these issues don’t stop this pirate-themed adventure from being a boatload of fun.
Despite feeling somewhat inconsequential for a majority of its runtime, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a whacky and welcome romp with Majima and his motley crew of buddies. Between RGG's signature action combat, a plethora of worthwhile side content, and surprisingly robust ship systems, this swashbuckling adventure is one worth undertaking.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is an okay spin-off of the Yakuza series. The story is fine, but the biggest issue is that it doesn't really feel inventive.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a thoroughly enjoyable sea-faring adventure filled with delightful ship combat and hectic brawling and swordplay encounters. Though it might rank somewhat lower in the series thanks to its weaker story and somewhat disappointing substories, it won't bother players all that long when they merely engage in some of the open-world chaos that comes with living out a pirate's life. Yo-ho, Yo-ho, a Mad Dog's life for me.
There’s quite a lot of things that are not perfect in Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii – a short and unevenly paced story is one of them. Fortunately, there’s so much good stuff that it balances out. Combat, naval battles, absurdly funny side quests and a unique atmosphere of „contemporary piracy” are fun enough to make Like a Dragon fans feel like home.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a carefree and spirited island adventure. Whether you're navigating your pirate ship between islands in search of treasure, recruiting eccentric crew members from the streets of Honolulu, or battling enemy ships in the perilous pirate arenas, the game keeps you engaged at every turn.
Review in Chinese | Read full review
The decision to put Majima in the captain’s chair is inspired and has allowed the team at Ryu Ga Gotoku to create one of the most unique and off-the-will games in the long-running series. Much like its beloved lead, Pirate Yakuxa in Hawaii is a little crazy, a little random, but incredibly charming.
Like a Dragon Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is the exact image of its protagonist: funny, out of its mind and light on serious content and story beats. Long-time fans of the franchise will remember this as a Majima extravaganza, while newcomers as the perfect entry point in this long-running series.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Yakuza Pirates in Hawaii is as irreverent and over-the-top as the title might imply, putting its leading man to good use to tell a piratical tale that does just enough to stand on its own. Ship combat never quite reaches the highs it aspires to, and the series still has some growing to do, but it's hard not to be charmed by this mix of classical Like a Dragon and sea-faring action.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a fun adventure with new ideas that presents a deep, fun and flexible gameplay that will easily keep you entertained for hours.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii takes the series to the high seas while staying true to its signature formula. Packed with side quests and mini-games, it delivers everything fans expect from a Like a Dragon game. The core gameplay remains as content-rich as ever, and with smooth, fast-paced combat both on land and water, the final package is a must-buy for longtime fans.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii proves that the previous Like a Dragon Ishin was no fluke. Ryu Ga Gotoku is clearly comfortable bringing these iconic characters to any creative setting and location, and going forward the sky’s the limit. Perhaps literally. I wouldn’t put it past them to have Goro Majima waking up on a moon base next.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is one of the best Like a Dragon spin-offs to date, eagerly having us looking forward to Majima’s next adventure.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii was a game designed to appeal to new fans. Previous experiments have come out differently, but this time Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has taken a successful side-step. It may attract a fresh audience, because in this case you really don't need to know much about the series and its past to be entertained. This production is meant to give the satisfaction of being a pirate, and it fully accomplishes this task.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Majima's return as the protagonist has never been so good and at the same time unusual. Once again, RGG Studio maintains its seal of quality and goes further with the addition of naval combats along with gameplay that is a true delight, providing hours of fun. Even though it has a simple, unpretentious story on the surface and some moments that could be dispensed with, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii carries in its depths an ode to friendship, dreams and, above all, life.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii gives players exactly what they expect from the title. It's a rollicking, funny, and enjoyable side story that lets fan favorite Goro Majima shine in a way he hasn't since Yakuza 0. The main plot is a little thin, and the pirate mechanics are bare bones, but beneath that, it's a darn fun Yakuza adventure, and it contains perhaps the best iteration of the game's brawler mechanics to date. Any complaints boil down to, "It's more of Like a Dragon," and that's always good.
Like A Dragon Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is an excellent return to old form for long-running players and Majima fans.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii comes with a tasty mix of the original games in this series and Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, bringing an appropriate dose of refreshment to the time-tested brand.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii doesn’t move the franchise forward, in fact it’s a treat for fans who want to see their favorites back in the spotlight. That said the studio didn’t exactly phone it in with a carbon copy iteration and called it the day either.